Bhubaneswar: Several tribals from Bargarh district Monday faced an awkward situation when the manager of a private bank here caught them with a fake cheque of Rs 5 lakh. The manager later informed the Capital Police about the incident.
During interrogation, the tribals revealed that some conmen duped them of Rs 3 lakh on the pretext of selling mysterious ‘Hanuman coins’ abroad. The conmen cheated the innocent tribals by giving them the fake cheque.
Subsequently, police started investigations after registering a case (189/20) on the basis of the complaint filed by the victims.
The victims complained that an elderly local of Melchhamunda area in Bargarh told some villagers that he had some ‘Hanuman coins’ which a firm in Bhubaneswar is interested to purchase by paying a hefty amount.
Later, four persons from Bhubaneswar reached their village and held a meeting with the victims in a farmhouse at village Beherapalli, just a few days before the lockdown was imposed. The conmen asked them to join their firm to be eligible to get a share from the profit they would incur by selling the coins to buyers in foreign countries.
As many as 15 persons deposited Rs 18,600 each in the bank account given by the conmen to become members of the firm. Subsequently, the victims were asked to reach Bhubaneswar Monday for the opening of bank accounts in their names.
However, another person, posing himself as a bank manager, met the victims at a hotel here and gave them the fake cheque.